WTF Now - Brake Booster
Thread Starter
Race Director
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 12,706
Likes: 329
From: Scottsdale Arizona
WTF Now - Brake Booster
I've been rebuilding the brakes piece by piece since I got this car. At every turn, I've found something messed up, such as missing parking brake hardware.
I have rebuilt or replaced most of the preriferal parts and now decided that the master cylinder was dead. Got the part on Friday and set aside time today to put it in. Went to unbolt the old one and what did I find:
There are two nuts and a stack of shims. This couldn't be good news:
Got these off to see why, knowing that I wasn't going to like what I saw:
The stud is stripped where the nut would sit. That's why they put on shim stack. Got the MC off and look at the two studs. WTF????
The two studs are considerably different in length. There can't be a stock vehicle where this would be correct would there? Are these studs removable? I know that you can't twist them out
I don't even mind buying a new booster. What makes me crazy is that it'll take yet another week to get this POS back on the road.
I know that I should have checked earlier, but I keep finding problems that never even occured to me.
I have rebuilt or replaced most of the preriferal parts and now decided that the master cylinder was dead. Got the part on Friday and set aside time today to put it in. Went to unbolt the old one and what did I find:
There are two nuts and a stack of shims. This couldn't be good news:
Got these off to see why, knowing that I wasn't going to like what I saw:
The stud is stripped where the nut would sit. That's why they put on shim stack. Got the MC off and look at the two studs. WTF????
The two studs are considerably different in length. There can't be a stock vehicle where this would be correct would there? Are these studs removable? I know that you can't twist them out
I don't even mind buying a new booster. What makes me crazy is that it'll take yet another week to get this POS back on the road.
I know that I should have checked earlier, but I keep finding problems that never even occured to me.
Last edited by CA-Legal-Vette; Jun 1, 2008 at 08:01 PM.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 2,669
Likes: 3
From: Kingston Ontario
Looks as if one of the studs has already started to back out. I would remove the two of them and replace with new. Locktite them in place. Bubba should have changed them when he stripped it. 
Burning Brakes
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 1,006
Likes: 28
From: Lutz Florida
I don't know how easily the studs can be replaced. Someone on the forum may have done that, or try: www.brakeboosters.com a call and see what they say. Can't tell from the picture how bad your threads actually are. Did you try running a thread chaser over the stud to see if there was enough metal there to re-form the threads? On my OEM 1976 booster both of the master cylinder studs stick out 1" from the face of the booster equally. Hope that helps you some.
Last edited by stock76; Jun 1, 2008 at 09:01 PM.
Thread Starter
Race Director
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 12,706
Likes: 329
From: Scottsdale Arizona
I don't know how easily the studs can be replaced. Someone on the forum may have done that, or try: www.brakeboosters.com a call and see what they say. Can't tell from the picture how bad your threads actually are. Did you try running a thread chaser over the stud to see if there was enough metal there to re-form the threads? On my OEM 1976 booster both of the master cylinder studs stick out 1" from the face of the booster equally. Hope that helps you some.
Good link! I sent the guy an email and asked hime if this was rebuildable, though I'll probably just buy a replacement.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 2,669
Likes: 3
From: Kingston Ontario
Threads are pretty much smooth at the point where the nut would have sat. I tried using my stud remover and it didn't budge. I'm wondering if the stud is knurled and set from the inside.
Good link! I sent the guy an email and asked hime if this was rebuildable, though I'll probably just buy a replacement.
Good link! I sent the guy an email and asked hime if this was rebuildable, though I'll probably just buy a replacement.
I would think it is a normal double threaded stud with threads on both ends and an unthreaded portion in the centre of the stud. The picture leads me to believe that the one stud has already been partially extracted. Typically you would put on two nuts on one stud, jam them together and remove the stud by turning the inside nut to remove.
If unable to replace the studs you will need to replace the booster.
Thread Starter
Race Director
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 12,706
Likes: 329
From: Scottsdale Arizona
I wonder if it's time for a hydroboost conversion. Dang, even more lost time.
Thread Starter
Race Director
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 12,706
Likes: 329
From: Scottsdale Arizona
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
Top 10 Most Expensive Corvettes Ever Sold on Bring A Trailer
Brett Foote
10 Things Every Corvette Owner Needs (2026 Edition)
Michael S. Palmer
8 Most "Only Corvette Owners Understand" Quirks and Problems
Pouria Savadkouei
10 Reasons the C6 Z06 is Still A Performance Benchmark After 20 Years
Joe Kucinski
How Much Horsepower Every Corvette Engine "LOST" in 1972
Joe Kucinski
Top 10 DOs and DON'Ts for Protecting Your Convertible Top!
Michael S. Palmer
Top 10 Most Explosive Corvettes Ever Made: Power-to-Weight Ratio Ranked!
Joe Kucinski
150 hp to 1,250 hp: Every Corvette Generation Compared by the Specs That Matter
Joe Kucinski